Happy Father's Day!

Today we spent the day at the San Diego County Fair. Favorites included watching the Freestyle Motocross, a (cow) milking demonstration, a swine race, viewing the exhibits in the halls, wandering through the garden demonstrations and simply enjoying the perfect 75* day in beautiful Southern California. One hands-on exhibit were these business card-sized art boards available for anyone to doodle on. Both kids enjoyed creating a one-of-a-kind masterpiece which they then proudly pinned to the community art board. Meredith's drawing was of her favorite subject: daddy! He's a favorite for us all. Happy Father's Day!

Happy Easter!

It seems that holidays with little kids last for weeks as we build up to the actual holiday. We have been doing Easter-related things for two weeks. Today started with an egg hunt out at Stone Brewery with friends. I know, not the traditional way to start Easter, but the gardens are lovely, the food and drinks stellar and it was a beautiful morning. The kids enjoyed the egg hunt, we enjoyed finding a "golden ticket" in one of Meredith's eggs (free bottle, a $12 value) and the brunch at Stone was delicious. Thomas and Meredith were excited to come home and find the Easter bunny had left them each a basket of special things and twenty filled eggs scattered in the backyard. Greta enjoyed one of the egg's contents, too!

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A highlight of Easter this year was the earthquake that occurred in the afternoon. A 7.2 in Baja, Mexico was close enough and strong enough for us to feel it. I didn't notice if the house itself was moving but inside we watched the window blinds and the hanging light fixture in the kitchen sway back and forth. We're hoping that was the first (and last!) earthquake we experience living here!

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playgroup Easter party

Bunny helps Meredith find eggs ~ Bunny love

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This morning our playgroup had its annual Easter party. It was a potluck brunch complete with an Easter bunny, crafts and an Easter egg hunt. The morning was warm and the park beautiful. All in all, a really great way to start off the weekend!

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Meredith has never been a fan of costumed characters of any kind. She likes to look at them, but refuses to go within 10 feet of them. I was able to get a Christmas photo with Santa but it was totally spontaneous or it would never have worked. Today, she willingly walked up to the Easter bunny and gave her a hug. It was really sweet and such a bold move for Meredith!

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the hunt is on! ~ she's a big girl, but still a yummy little baby to me
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Easter crafts ~ checking out the treats in their eggs
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I love this family of mine!

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Caroline waits for Thomas to greet her

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Thomas has a little friend in our playgroup who has the biggest crush on him. Caroline adores Thomas. She searches him out at playgroup meetups. It's really the sweetest thing. Today I saw her arrive, find Thomas and approach him. She must have stood there for several minutes waiting for Thomas to say something. Finally I had to say, "Thomas, say HI to your friend Caroline." She was all smiles when he did. I know she isn't the only one smitten with our little guy and I have feeling there will be many others over the years.

Happy New Year!

Journey into Africa - tram transports you to another place!

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This year we decided to do our New Year's Day hike at the Wild Animal Park. For the past 10 years we've started every year with a hike on January 1st. The whole family goes and we try to go somewhere less populated and more natural. We didn't find a hike we could take the dogs on that really excited us -- they were all 2 miles or less and a bit of a drive from home. It wasn't adding up and given the problems in the desert last week with the dogs, well... a more "urban" hike with just the four of us seemed like a better choice for today.

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native/baja gardens ~ fun experiments! (made snow and slime)
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kids having fun ~ painting projects (when dry, these boxes are filled with treats for the elephants, apparently they love this special thing)

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Didn't hear about the trip to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park? Miles from anywhere Bela (the Vizsla) stepped on a cactus. I believe it's a "jumping cholla" or a "teddy bear cholla". The mature, pinecone-like pieces drop off the main plant and litter the ground around the plant. These are basically pinecones with barbed needles. Bela stepped on one, yelped in pain and fell down onto more of them. They are extremely difficult and painful to remove once they've attached to you. Mike ended up having to hit them off of her with a stick while I held her still. Talk about a nightmare. Greta also stepped on one and the two dogs, Mike and myself all left the desert pretty shaken up and bleeding. We pulled "spines" (the needle-like pieces) from Bela's feet for days after the incident. Poor thing. We were so thankful everyone was okay and that the kids didn't have these things anywhere near them. The desert is so beautiful, but can also be very unfriendly.]

holiday cards

We love receiving good mail, esp. all the cards during the holidays. The kids participated in two exchanges so there were lots of cards from other little people on top of all those we receive from friends and family. I can't remember where we hung them last year but this year the stairs seemed like a good place. It was fun to pass by this wall several times during the course of a day and see all these smiling faces and fun cards made by other children. This will be one holiday "decoration" that will be missed.

Merry Christmas!

his new ride ~ her new dollhouse ~ big smiles all day long

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snow in Southern California!

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It was a quiet, simple Christmas for our family this year. It was also the first that we've spent completely alone, just the four of us (and Bela and Greta, too!). Opening stockings and gifts lasted hours since we took breaks to play with something, eat or shower. The sun warmed us as we played outside and went for a walk at the beach. We made snow and scattered it around the front yard. And we ended the day with a Mickey Mouse holiday movie on tv. It was a very merry Christmas for our family. Hope it was for you, too!

holiday giving

the kids wait for their friends outside the assisted living home

(to deliver holiday cards they made)

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Playgroups come in all sizes and forms and we've enjoyed many of the different kinds, but my favorite is the one we're currently involved in. It's a large group of moms and their children, yet we've become good friends with many of them and have formed smaller groups within the larger whole. The big group of (60!) moms is really great because we have a large resource of information available since we all have different interests, there are varying opportunities for ourselves and our children and - for this special group - there is the ability to give back in so many different ways. Again this holiday season we were able to give a needy family a wonderful Christmas, we've donated books to establish a library at a shelter for women and children, we've given boxes upon boxes of toys and non-perishable foods to different agencies and so much more. The generosity ramps up over the holidays, but we all find ways throughout the year to give back in smaller ways. It's important to me that Thomas and Meredith be compassionate, giving and, most of all, thankful for what they have.

preschool holiday performance & party

Can you spot our favorite preschooler?

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Today was Thomas' last day of preschool before the holiday break so that meant today there was a short performance by the class followed by a classroom party. It was terribly cute to watch all three 4-year-old classes file in, get in their places and sing seven carols together. Thomas told me later that he sang all the songs, even if I didn't always see his lips moving. The performance was made extra special for Thomas when Mike surprised him by attending. Thomas was grinning from ear to ear and waving at his dad the minute he spotted Mike enter the sanctuary.

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The classroom party was busy but fun for the kids. There was cookie decorating, a treat making project, ornaments to color with markers and plenty of yummy treats to eat. Meredith, of course, made herself at home in the classroom and participated fully in the festivities.

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Meredith w/daddy ~ the kids enjoy the treats

season of remembrance

One of our favorite family holiday traditions is visiting the local animal shelter with gifts. This morning we were lucky to have three little friends join us in the spirit of giving and remembrance of those less fortunate. We all came bearing treats, toys, and blankets/towels for the shelter. We also spent some time walking through the shelter saying hi to the dogs, cats, bunnies and a bird who are all currently calling the shelter home. All the kids agreed Candy the Chihuahua was their favorite dog and all wanted to take the sweet, little dog home with them. Last year a Vizsla pulled at my heart strings and we almost walked away adding a third dog to our family (can you imagine!!?). Fortunately, as sweet and loving as they all were, none of the pets today did that.

10 days in Oregon

Frosty - kids singing from c on Vimeo.

This evening the kids and I returned from a 10 day visit back to Oregon. The weather was extreme (so cold!!) and we ended the week with nasty coughs, but we all had a wonderful time seeing family and friends. Ten things we'll remember...
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10. Baking Christmas cookies and fudge w/Grandma and cousin Emily.
9. Seeing family at cousin Gwen's 2nd birthday party.
8. Ice skating at Lloyd Center Ice Rink (first for Thomas!).
7. Spending a day at the Portland Children's Museum w/cousins Franny, Cole and Delaney.
6. Early Christmas at Grandma's house w/everyone spoiling them.
5. Seeing the Nutcracker Ballet downtown.
4. Daily disco parties complete w/swirling flashlights.
3. Having whipped cream squirted directly into their mouths -- thanks, Uncle Peter!
2. Seeing friends from the old neighborhood (toys are in the mail).
1. And spending oodles and oodles of time with Grandma. We're already looking forward to having her visit us in March!

Elfie

Yesterday the kids saw Santa but not once did Santa mention he was sending one of his scout elves to stay at our house this holiday season. What a surprise for the kids to come home and find the elf at our front door! After dinner the kids named him Elfie and we registered him on Santa's Elf Registry. Mike read the book Elfie brought with him and we all welcomed him into our home and put him on the fireplace mantel for the evening. This morning we awoke to find he had moved and was sitting in the kitchen. I'm curious what things he might have told Santa last night, but hopefully they were all good things about Thomas and Meredith.

Santa Claus

Today's visit to the mall included a stop to see Santa Claus. The kids were prepared with holiday colors in their clothing, Santa hats on their heads and their new wish books in hand. Thomas loves the guy and immediately rushed in to say hi and offer hugs. Meredith wasn't quite so eager and after a few minutes of talking to Santa decided it might be okay to stand in front of him as long as Thomas was also there. I figured I had to cease the photo op when I had one since she may not oblige again this season so we purchased (2) 5x7s of this photo. Fun, but doesn't his beard look a little yellow?

wish books

Both kids have been cutting things from catalogs and taping them to the doors in our kitchen. It started out nice, but then got way out of control. Their wish lists were migrating to the fridge, left out on the kitchen table... you get the idea. Some action needed to be taken so this evening our family assembled some wish books. I cropped the multitude of toy photos for both kids, they sorted them and then we all taped them onto papers, stapled them together with a cover page and some extra sheets in the back and - voila! - wish books. The bonus (besides the obvious of uncluttering the kitchen) is now I have a little book to take shopping with me and we can clearly see where Thomas' interests are. I think the kids will take them when they visit Santa, too.

holiday photos

These kids don't take many bad photos which is great, but also makes choosing one or two very difficult. And they are such hams for the camera! The photographer this morning said Meredith was the most mature 2yo she's had in the studio. The kids had a great time during the shoot, but not so much fun before the shoot (Meredith doesn't like her dress) and not so much fun after the shoot when Meredith fell off a chair and bumped her head. Don't worry, she'll be fine but may have a bruise on her forehead for awhile...

Holly Jolly Holidays @ Legoland

After preschool today we changed into warmer clothes, grabbed coats and hats, and headed over to Legoland for the annual tree lighting ceremony. We had such a blast last year, but this year was even better because we got there early enough to sit with playgroup friends front and center. Mike met us there with plenty of time to get comfortable and settle in before the ceremony began. And the evening itself? A kids' musical group (The Jumpitz -- very similar to the Wiggles) performed, a couple of lesser-known celebrities said a few words, a check was presented to the Ronald McDonald House, Santa stopped by to say hi, the 30' LEGO tree was lit, snow was blown overhead and there was a fireworks display. It was very fun and a great kick-off to the holiday season. Later this month fireworks will be every evening for a full week. I know two kids who will enjoy this nightly show!

the "candy house"

Thomas calls it a Candy House and Meredith calls it a Gingerbread House. Either way, they both agree this is a fun holiday project that they love. In past years we helped more but this year we applied the icing and let the kids do the rest. They each decorated one side of the roof. Thomas' favorite are the gumdrops so that's what he put on his. Meredith loves the small candy balls and put a lot of those on hers. I did the smiley face because I know that's exactly what Thomas would have done if he weren't busy eating the candy. Both kids would ask, "Can I sneak one of these to eat?" Hilarious.

"Who!? What!? When!?"

This morning it was almost as good as Christmas morning at our house. We had set up the Christmas trees in the family room and playroom two days ago, but hadn't done much else. So last night, after the kids went to bed in their new Christmas jammies, I started pulling out the holiday stuff. The tree got a few decorations and the train that circles the base was set up, the stockings were hung on the mantel, the nativity set was brought out on a table and various items were placed around the house. There's still much to do, but even that little bit was a very exciting discovery this morning. They ran around the house pointing out every single thing that had moved or was different -- these kids don't miss a thing! All day they have been talking about who might have done the work. Suspects include: Natasha, the woman who stayed at our house and took care of the dogs while we were in Las Vegas; Ms. Ginger, Meredith's ballet teacher; and Sophia, one of their little friends. Not once have they suggested that maybe mommy or daddy did it.

card making, part 2

We finished up Thomas' cards today. The kids and I made the star suncatchers/ornaments two weeks ago but I hadn't come up with a good way to attach it to a card. Today we decided to turn our cards into stockings and tuck the stars inside. The stockings ended up being a little wide to accommodate the star, but I think it still works okay. My original idea was to use different holiday papers for the three areas of the stockings, but this became tedious and Thomas tired of it very quickly. When I suggested we use the dot paints his enthusiasm renewed and when I later suggested we jazz them up with some glitter he got really excited. He signed the backs and we added a photo and notes. A suncatcher is tucked inside each one and included with the international exchange cards is a short note from Thomas. I think it'll be a fun card to receive.

season of card making

We've been busy making holiday cards at our house. We do them in baby steps, spending just a little time here and there to craft some fun cards to mail. This will be our third year participating in an international holiday card exchange (for kids) and I've coordinated an exchange with our playgroup again this year. In all, Thomas and Meredith will each be making roughly 25 cards. Meredith's were completed this afternoon and Thomas' were worked on two weeks ago and will hopefully be finished up this weekend. I kind of like Meredith as a snowgirl. The larger dots were fun for her (she really enjoys glue) but the smaller dots were a challenge for her little fingers. I'll post a photo of Thomas' cards when we finish his.

season of thanks

Some days life just passes too quickly and we find ourselves immersed in other things, but at the end of the day -- and on this day, especially -- we are all so very thankful to have one another. We are blessed.